T+107 Ingition coil pack, Part 2

BOX SCORE	8/23/24
Element	Current	Std. Range	Trend
Hemoglobin	12.9	13-17	v
Platelets	182	140-375	v
ANC	5370	1800-8300	^

You may recall my post from July13th titled "How is YOUR ignition coil pack?" If you have been following along, you will also remember that the Ford was running rough, and then the "Check Engine" light came on. Autozone checked out the engine codes and found that there was a misfire in cylinder number four. The cure was supposedly a new ignition coil pack (ICP). 

Accordingly, I purchased a new  ICP from (where else?) Amazon and set about installing it. You may further recall that I ran into a little problem not covered in the YouTube video, the official repair manual for everything under the sun. For that, I had to order a new socket for my wrench set. 

Fast forward a couple of weeks. We were coming home from a curbside grocery pickup, when the "Warning: Coolant is OVERHEATED" light came on. I pulled over and let the coolant cool a bit, and we made it back to the Hobbit Hole. After the engine cooled for a couple of hours, I checked the level, and found it was about 3 fries short of a Happy Meal, er that is, 3 pints short of being full. I hadn't any official Ford coolant on hand (imagine!) so I used unofficial Ford coolant, AKA tap water. The temperature behaved itself after that. 

When it was time for us to come home from Portland (thank you, Lord), I checked the coolant again and added another quart of H2O. The trip home was uneventful. The day after we got home, I replaced the ignition coil pack, and the car ran smoother, with more power. 

It was time for a lube job and oil change, so Tuesday this week we took the car to the Car Doctor. We never go anyplace that doesn't have a doctor, it seems. I told Dr. Rick about the troubles we had with the car and asked him to check it out. Later that afternoon, I received an email complete with pictures taken  inside the  cylinders (I know, right, how DO they do that?). It turns out that what I was hoping was maybe a leaky hose somewhere is actually a case of coolant getting into the cylinders. 

Aha! That explains both problems, the misfire and the mystery of the disappearing coolant.  Okay, now we are getting somewhere. "Turn page here." On the next page was the estimate for fixing this little problem: a mere $9,000! Yikes!!

The remainder of the week has been spent trying to figure out what to do with a $10,000 car that needs a $9,000 motor replacement. I contacted our insurance man, a friend who is in the car repair biz, two Ford dealers, and the auto broker we have worked with on our last four car purchases. The bottom line consensus is, "if you can get $2,500 for the car, grab the money and run." 

I checked a number of online car purchasing sites that offer instant estimates. I got numbers from $2,600 to $3,600, and eventually made an appointment with CarMax. We will go there tomorrow and see if we can make a deal. 

After that, we will simply call the auto broker and probably have a new car within 48 hours. I am all about easy when it comes to car trading. I hate the dickering I used to have to do before we started dealing through a broker who has always saved us several thousand dollars on our purchases, not to mention, finding the cars, doing ALL the negotiating, and selling our trade ins on consignment for more than we would get from a dealer. 

Today we are off to see Dr. Krishnan, a Kaiser oncologist who is subbing for Dr. Brow while she is on maternity leave. This is the hand-off from OHSU care to Kaiser care following my transplant. And, oh, by the way, I am feeling great!